Nut-lock.



PATENTED DEC. s, 1903. L. MOGAHAN.

NUT LOCK;

APPLIOATIONJFILED MAR. 2, 1903.

- No MODEL,

FREDERICK L. MCGAHAN,

Patented December 8 1903.

PATENT OEETCE.

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,363, dated December8, 1903.

Application filed March 2, 1903.

To LZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. MoGA- HAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Nut-Locks, of which the following is aspecication.

My invention relates to a nut-lock and to means combined therewith whenapplied to the fish-bolt nuts of a rail-joint for preventing lateralplay of the bolts in the holes therefor through the fish-plates, andthereby insuring a rigid rail-joint.

The invention consists in features of novelty, as hereinafter describedand claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, Whereon-..

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved nut-locking device asapplied to the fish-bolt nuts of an ordinary rail-joint; Figs. 2 and 3,corresponding views to Fig. 1 of the blanks from which the two parts ofthe device seen to the right and left, respectively, of the railjointare formed; Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, vertical transverse sections throughthe locking device and one of the fish-plates on lines 4 4,

` 5 5, 6 6, and 7 7, respectively, in Fig. 1; Fig. 8,

`thereof on line 10 10 in Fig. 9; Figs. 11 and 12, corresponding viewsto Figs. 9 and 10, respectively,'showing a modification of the nutlock;Fig. 13, a side view of the blank from which the nut-lock is formed whenapplied to a nut tightened against a Wood surface, and Fig. 14 across-section on line 14 14 in Fig. 13 through the nut-lock formed fromthe blank and applied to the nut on the screwthreaded shank of a handlefor securing the latter tothe front side of a drawer or analogousobject.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all thefigures.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, a represents my improvednut-locking device as applied to a rail-joint. The device a. consists oftwo rectangular plates or washers 1 1', (hereinafter termed washers,)which are Serial No. 145.815. (No model.)

which'is opposite to the rail c, or, in other words, to the right andleft, respectively, of the rail-joint, as shown.

vThrough the washers 1 and 1' are formed the holes 2, corresponding,respectively, to the holes in the rails c c and [ish-plates b forreceiving the bolts d, the nuts 3 of which are tightened against thewashers 1 and 1'. Integral with and projecting from the horizontal edgesof the Washer 1' in the plane of the latter and opposite to eachbolt-hole 2 is a preferably square-shaped tongue 4, which when the nut 3of the corresponding bolt d has been tightened against the washer 1 isbent outward along the edge of the washer 1, as indicated by the brokenline in Fig. 3, and thence directed toward the bolt d, parallel, orthereabout, to the outer face of the washer 1l, until the free end edgeofthe tongue 4 is in close proximity to the adjacent side of the nut 3,as seen particularly in Fig. 6, which is thereby prevented from turningo n the bolt d.

The washer 1, in'lieu of having tongues 4 projecting from its horizontaledges, as describedfor the washer 1', is stamped or cut into forasuitable distance from the said edges, so as to form a tongue 5opposite to each bolt- 'hole 2, the tongue 5 being bent outward alongthe broken lineindicated in Fig. 2, and thence directed toward the boltd until its free end edge is in close proximity to the nut 3 of thecorresponding bolt d in a similar manner to the tongues 4 of the vWasher1, or, if preferred, the tongues 5 may be formed in the same manner'asthe tongues 4, or vice versa.

Through the overlapping portions, respectively, of the washers 1 1 isformed a hole or slotway 6, the two holes 6 being so arranged that whenthe washers 1 1 are in position on the bolts d, as seen in Fig. 1, thehole 6 ofthe washer 1 will be opposite to a tongue 7,stamped from andunited at one end to the Washer 1', and Vice versa. By this means whenthe space between the ends of the rails c c to bejoined is excessive,which frequently occurs, and when in consequence thereof the holesthrough the Iish-plates b are out of true and have to be.

IOO

correspondingly elongated for the passage of the bolts d therethrough,as seen in Fig. 8, the Washers 1 1 are adjusted by sliding one on theother until the holes 2 therethrough register with the bolts d, when thetongue 7 of the washer 1 is bent outward through and engages the edge ofthe hole 6 in the washer 1, so as to lock the washers 1 l together, andthe nuts 3 being then tightened home against the washers 1 1 the washer1 is thereby drawn against the fish-plate b until its inner side isflush with the inner side of the washer l', and in so doing a shoulder 8is formed in the washer 1,which butts against the lapped end 8 of thewasher 1', and so renders the washers 1 1 practically continuous andrigid, whereby the lateral movement of the bolts d within the enlargedholes of the iish-plates Z2, due to the sliding tendency of the rails cc', is prevented and a rigid joint maintained.

Figs. 9 and 10 show the nut-lock applied to the nut 3 of a bolt d',which secures the two cross-bars e andftogether, in which case one ofthe tongues 4 of the washer 9, which is analogous to the washers 1 1 inFig. 1, is placed between the nut 3 and bar e and turned laterally atits outer free end portion, so as to bear against the lower edge of thebar e, thereby preventing the washer 9 from turning around the bolt d',the other tongue 4 of the washer 9 engaging the nut 3 of the bolt d inthe manner before described.

In Figs. 11 and 12 the end of the barfis shown flush with the upper edgeof the bar e, in which case the washer 11 between the nut 3' and the bare is united to a washer 1l', placed between the head of the bolt d andthe barf by a .connectingpiece 12, which is integral with the washers 1111 and' straddles the bars ef at the said edge, the bolt d passingthrough both washers 11 11', one of the tongues, 4, being adapted forlocking the nut 3'and the other tongue, 4', for locking the head of thebolt d', whereby the nut 3 can be tightened up While the bolt d is heldfrom turning by the tongue 4', which is -an important advantage inbridge construction.

Figs. 13 and 14 show the application of the lock'nut for securing ahandle to the front side of a drawer or other woodwork, in which casetwo or more preferably triangular shaped tangs 13 are stamped from thewasher 14 and projected therefrom at right angles, the washer 14 beingthen placed on the screwthreaded shank 15 of the handle 16 between thenut 17 and the surface of the woodwork 1S, so that on tightening homethe nut 17 against the washer 14 the t-angs 13 are forced into thewoodwork 18, and thereby prevent the washer 14 from turning, the nut 17being locked by the tongues 4 in the manner before described.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

In a nut-lock, the combination with the bolts and fish -plates of arail-joint, of a washer made in two parts and interposed between thenuts of the said bolts and the ad,` jacent fish-plate, the said partspartly overlapping each other, a tongue integral with, and alined tothe'washer opposite to each of the said bolts, the said tongue beingadapted to be turned outward parallel or thereabout to the face of thewasher, a tongue formed in, and integral with one of the said parts andadapted to be turned outward through a hole in the correspondingoverlapping portion of the other part, for engaging the edge of the saidhole, 'and a shoulderrformed on one of the said parts in the tightenedposition of the nuts for engaging the inner end of the other part,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK L. MCGAHAN.

Witnesses:

G. L. BELFRY, EDWARD W. FURRELL.

